Where would you rank 1998 MJ in the 2022 RealGM Peaks Project?

[Matt15]

Looking at the peaks project where would you place 1998 MJ? Would he be top 25? Top 30?

[LukaTheGOAT]

Quickly scanning through the list...based off who I see has been voted for, I would say he would be possinly in the backend of the top 20, but t worst top 25.

[No-more-rings]

I don't know for sure how the panel would vote, but I'm fairly confident he wouldn't go above any of the names below.

1. 1990-91 Michael Jordan
2. 2012-13 LeBron James
3. 1999-00 Shaquille O'Neal
4. 1976-77 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. 1966-67 Wilt Chamberlain
6. 2002-03 Tim Duncan
7. 1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon
8. 1963-64 Bill Russell
9. 1985-86 Larry Bird
10. 1986-87 Magic Johnson
11. 2016-17 Stephen Curry
12. 2003-04 Kevin Garnett
13. 2020-21 Giannis Antetokounmpo
14. 1963-64 Oscar Robertson
15. 1965-66 Jerry West
16. 2021-22 Nikola Jokic
17. 1976-77 Bill Walton
18. 2005-06 Dwyane Wade
19. 2007-08 Kobe Bryant

I think he would probably wind up somewhere in the middle of the next group voted in so far. I find it pretty doubtful that 98 Jordan is better than most if not all these guys, but the PC board usually seems to consider him like a top 30 peak pretty easily. Jordan stans probably consider it a top 10 peak of all time, which is quite ridiculous.


20. 1993-94 David Robinson
21. 2016-17 Kawhi Leonard
22. 1975-76 Julius Erving
23. 2010-11 Dirk Nowitzki
24. 2016-17 Kevin Durant
25. 1982-83 Moses Malone
26. 2019-20 Anthony Davis
27. 2006-07 Steve Nash
28. 2014-15 Chris Paul
29. 2018-19 James Harden

[AEnigma]

I would probably have it top twenty, but as a frame of reference I would have put Kobe at #15.

I imagine some would argue 1998 Jordan over Kobe anyway, and if you really value his defence, scoring load, and turnover economy, that is not indefensible.

[Ron Swanson]

Tough for me to say. Quite a few RS's I'd put above it, but the playoff run is closer to a lot of guys peaks in the Top-15 (going by the current project). And given that the Bulls still won 60-games with Pippen missing half the season, I do think it's one of the more underrated carry-jobs that people don't often think about. Top-20 is pretty defensible.

[falcolombardi]

Somewhere around peak kobe or kawhi i guess. I think a bit lower

[Colbinii]

Probably not on the list.

[JordansBulls]

1st team All NBA, 1st team All Defense, Scoring title, league mvp, allstar game mvp, finals mvp. Not sure how outside top 15 and this before rule changes were implemented.

[falcolombardi]

1st team All NBA, 1st team All Defense, Scoring title, league mvp, allstar game mvp, finals mvp. Not sure how outside top 15 and this before rule changes were implemented.

Rule changes would have made him (and pretty nuch all offensive players) worse in 98, not better

Illegal defense rules were huge in the 90's. Eliminate them without modern spacing and you get 2004 level of defensive slugfests

[capfan33]

Low teens but I would have to think about it more.

[ceoofkobefans]

Not very high especially compared to where he actually ranks for me

At the moment my GOAT peaks list prolly looks like

1. 1991 Michael Jordan
2. 2013 LeBron James
3. 2000 Shaquille O’Neal
4. 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon
5. 1977 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. 2003 Tim Duncan
7. 1967 Wilt Chamberlain
8. 2016 Steph Curry
9. 1986 Larry Bird
10. 2008 Kobe Bryant
11. 1987 Magic Johnson
12. 2004 Kevin Garnett
13. 1962 Bill Russell
14. 1995 David Robinson
15. 2009 Dwyane Wade
16. 2017 Kevin Durant
17. 1977 Bill Walton
18. 2022 Giannis Antetokoumnpo
19. 1966 Jerry West
20. 2017 Kawhi Leonard
21. 2015 Chris Paul
22. 1965 Oscar Robertson
23. 2022 Nikola Jokic
24. 2007 Steve Nash
25. 2011 Dirk Nowitzki
26. 2003 Tracy McGrady
27. 2020 James Harden
28. 1994 Karl Malone
29. 2020 Anthony Davis
30. 2000 Grant Hill
31. 1976 Julius Erving
32. 2017 Russell Westbrook
33. 1993 Charles Barkley
34. 2022 Joel Embiid
35. 2022 Luka Doncic
36. 1994 Scottie Pippen
37. 2019 Paul George
38. 2011 Dwight Howard
39. 1995 Penny Hardaway
40. 1975 Bob McAdoo
41. 1991 Patrick Ewing
42. 1983 Moses Malone
43. 2003 Jason Kidd
44. 2016 Draymond Green
45. 1998 Alonzo Mourning
46. 1975 Rick Barry
47. 2001 Allen Iverson
48 1962 Elgin Baylor
49. 1970 John Havlicek
50. 1972 Walt Frazier
HM: 1992 Mark Price

I would prolly have 1998 MJ in the 23-29 range

[ceoofkobefans]

Tough for me to say. Quite a few RS's I'd put above it, but the playoff run is closer to a lot of guys peaks in the Top-15 (going by the current project). And given that the Bulls still won 60-games with Pippen missing half the season, I do think it's one of the more underrated carry-jobs that people don't often think about. Top-20 is pretty defensible.

The 1998 Bulls were a -5.2 rDRTG and they went from 36-8 (67 win pace) with Scottie to 26-12 (56 win pace) or a +9.6 NRTG to +6.1 NRTG. Yes a 56 win team is still very good but they also heavily defensively slanted without Scottie (so much so that their DRTG was 4 points better WITHOUT Scottie but their ORTG was 7.5 points better WITH Scottie). This is less of a Michael Jordan Carry Job and more of what happens when you add an all time offensive player with an elite defense slant (we also saw this from the bulls about 20 years later and it also gets seen as a carry job)

[euroleague]

Not very high especially compared to where he actually ranks for me

At the moment my GOAT peaks list prolly looks like

1. 1991 Michael Jordan
2. 2013 LeBron James
3. 2000 Shaquille O’Neal
4. 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon
5. 1977 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. 2003 Tim Duncan
7. 1967 Wilt Chamberlain
8. 2016 Steph Curry
9. 1986 Larry Bird
10. 2008 Kobe Bryant
11. 1987 Magic Johnson
12. 2004 Kevin Garnett
13. 1962 Bill Russell
14. 1995 David Robinson
15. 2009 Dwyane Wade
16. 2017 Kevin Durant
17. 1977 Bill Walton
18. 2022 Giannis Antetokoumnpo
19. 1966 Jerry West
20. 2017 Kawhi Leonard
21. 2015 Chris Paul
22. 1965 Oscar Robertson
23. 2022 Nikola Jokic
24. 2007 Steve Nash
25. 2011 Dirk Nowitzki
26. 2003 Tracy McGrady
27. 2020 James Harden
28. 1994 Karl Malone
29. 2020 Anthony Davis
30. 2000 Grant Hill
31. 1976 Julius Erving
32. 2017 Russell Westbrook
33. 1993 Charles Barkley
34. 2022 Joel Embiid
35. 2022 Luka Doncic
36. 1994 Scottie Pippen
37. 2019 Paul George
38. 2011 Dwight Howard
39. 1995 Penny Hardaway
40. 1975 Bob McAdoo
41. 1991 Patrick Ewing
42. 1983 Moses Malone
43. 2003 Jason Kidd
44. 2016 Draymond Green
45. 1998 Alonzo Mourning
46. 1975 Rick Barry
47. 2001 Allen Iverson
48 1962 Elgin Baylor
49. 1970 John Havlicek
50. 1972 Walt Frazier
HM: 1992 Mark Price

I would prolly have 1998 MJ in the 23-29 range

How do you justify choosing 94 Malone?

[ceoofkobefans]

1991 is his peak athleticism and finishing

1998 is his peak playmaking and shooting

1994 is his best mixture of those.

I’m fine with choosing 1998 or 1997 tho or 1995

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

1997-98 Jordan would still be a top 10 peak, maybe top 5.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Probably not on the list.

I am not going by stats but by memory. He was still dominant. He would absolutely be on the list.

No way peak Penny Hardaway was better than 1998 Jordan. I don't really think peak Kobe was better than 1998 Jordan.

[Jaivl]

#25

[Colbinii]

Probably not on the list.

I am not going by stats but by memory. He was still dominant. He would absolutely be on the list.

No way peak Penny Hardaway was better than 1998 Jordan. I don't really think peak Kobe was better than 1998 Jordan.

Is Penny Hardaway on the list? I thought Harden was #30. I would take Peak Harden over 1998 Michael Jordan.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Probably not on the list.

I am not going by stats but by memory. He was still dominant. He would absolutely be on the list.

No way peak Penny Hardaway was better than 1998 Jordan. I don't really think peak Kobe was better than 1998 Jordan.

Is Penny Hardaway on the list? I thought Harden was #30. I would take Peak Harden over 1998 Michael Jordan.

I was mistaken. I was reading somebody's top 50 peaks list above. The current list is shorter.
Still I do apparently have a higher opinion of 1998 Jordan than the posters in this thread do.

[HeartBreakKid]

Perhaps around top 30. For comparisons sake I don't have Karl Malone in my top 30 peaks.